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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. lie — to recline
  6. chest — of your body
  7. last — final
  8. last — to go on
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chest — of your body
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. chest — a box
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. snap — to click
  20. pass — a permit
  21. lean — to bend
  22. last — finally
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lean — thin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com